Iraq & Afghanistan War Veteran: Don't Take New Terror Threat Lightly
NORTH TEXAS (CBS 11 NEWS) - Scott LaMarca of Plano knows first hand about the war against terror.
"In this kind of war, what's dangerous about this, you don't know who the enemy is."
LaMarca was a non-commissioned officer who looked for roadside explosive devices while clearing routes in Iraq and provided security for vehicles moving base to base in Afghanistan. During his multiple tours of duty in both nations, he came under mortar attack and was hit by a roadside explosive.
"Yeah, I was afraid I was going to die," he said. "I was afraid I wasn't going to come out alive."
LaMarca says 40 of his friends never made it home.
As the U.S. conducts air strikes in Syria, the Pentagon revealed a new group of terrorists with plans to attack our country: Khorasan, a group of Al Qaeda veterans who LaMarca and tens of thousands in our military fought against.
The North Texas veteran said, "These people are very cruel."
With the new offensive, LaMarca admits he's on alert and is concerned terrorists will come here. "My belief is some of them are here, that they have been sitting here for awhile. It's a part of their plan."
Danny Defenbaugh, a former special agent in charge of the FBI in Dallas, said, "I think this threat is very real."
According to Defenbaugh, all of the terror groups, Al Qeada, ISIS, and now Khorosan should be taken seriously along with others you may not think about: the lone terrorist.
"That is probably first on my list rather than down on the list. Because if you don't know what you need to know, that's when you've got a heightened level of threat."
As for Scott LaMarca, he believes the U.S. military will need to remain stationed in the Middle East - permanently. "I don't believe it's a war we'll ever end."
LaMarca retired from the military last year. He is diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder and a traumatic brain injury.
As LaMarca fores ahead he says his helps him is his work. He started a company called Texas Wounded Veterans Builders and Contractors. The business hires veterans for construction jobs.
Follow Jack on Twitter: @cbs11jack
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